Rune Mage [Fantasy/Adventure | Book 1 +2 | Complete]

Chapter 39: That Fateful Night

"We remember the Harreds well," Mr. Febland said, puffing away at his cigar. He was a portly man with a big belly and white strands in his otherwise black beard, as curly as his daughter's hair. "Mage Harred wasn't at home that much, eh, what with her busy state duties and all, but Connor was a good father. Honest and hardworking. He worked in the town's library. The twins grew up amidst mountains of books."

Behind them, Felora and Peron helped Mrs. Febland to clean up in thanks for providing a most delicious meal of vegetable broth and freshly baked bread. The clangs and polite conversation faded into a background buzz as Loren leant forward, clasping her tea between her hands.

"But Seiren was never the bookish sort, huh?"

"They were quite the opposite pair, eh! Madeleine was the serious, good-willed one, just like her father. Seiren was the silly and funny one. Madeleine was always the one who had to drag her little sister away from Kasia and Tala so they could study. The twins always went on about enrolling at King's and how they have to know the theory of magic, eh, before they take the exams. They were set on becoming mages, just like their mother."

"What was Kristen Harred like?"

"Eh, we barely saw her. She was always in a hurry. But the twins were happy enough whenever she was home. We'd never hear the end of it. 'Mama this' and 'Mama that'. Who can blame them? Connor was a fair father, but he was just a regular human like us, not a hint of magic to him."

Loren took a sip of the tea. There was a pleasant minty twang to it, unlike the rich, flavoured ones she was used to in Bicknor. She took another appreciative sip before setting her cup down onto the table.

"And can you tell me what happened the night the Harreds were killed?"

Mr. Febland's jaw set, his brow furrowed.

"Why do you want to know about that?"

"I'm asking for Seiren's sake. She was too young to remember much of what happened, especially given the shock." Loren gave a sympathetic smile. His shoulders relaxed and he mirrored her expression. "She's been asking about it recently and I wanted to get a fuller account. She's caught up in Hartley so couldn't come, so I offered."

"I see. The poor girl. Well," Mr Febland said, taking another drag and slowly easing it out, "everything happened so quickly. I'll try to tell you what I remember, eh. There was a lot of magic that night: sparks, lights, explosions, the lot. We're not magical folk, see, so I told my wife and children to hide. I watched from the door."

A lot of magic? Loren frowned. Kristen was probably the only mage in Finberry, the town being so small, and nothing significant ever happened there in records so there would not have been other state mages sent there for duty. Who would have cast the magic that cost Kristen Harred her life? It would explain the hole in the side of the little cottage, though.

"I waited till all the chaos had died down. By that point, half the town had arrived to see what was going on. The house was in a right state; the far side was in pieces, the windows shattered and everything. And there was this horrific smell in the air--"

Probably magical death, thought Loren, frowning. It was only recorded and she'd never come across it until recently, but there was a certain unmistakable stench magic leaves behind when it took a life. Her first encounter had been Denerin Raynott at Keycol, although much of the smell had been obscured by the charred surroundings. So Connor and Madeleine Harred's deaths was by magic. But by whom?

"--and the state mages from other places had arrived, too, and the military lot. They cordoned off the area and told us to mind our own business, eh. They searched for the Hannan that apparently did all of that and didn't catch him for a good few days. Finberry's a small place though, eh. We only lived down the hill so we saw the silhouettes of the military lot moving about and looking at the remains."